Chapter 3
Clean Up and Bad Omens
____________________________________________________________________________
The red sun has risen large and hot, quickly evaporating the pools of muddy water left there from the night; baking the ground hard and flat once more.
People whose houses were carved into the upper level of the valley’s walls helped their lower neighbours remove as much water as they could. While others gathered, taking bedding, clothing and furniture outside to dry.
The rain had come on so fast that many had not had time to sand bag their doorways.
The decorations from the night before lay in a sodden mess on the floor, the overturned tabled have righted and moved off to the side allowing room to move.
Away at the mine, a large group of men - Aaron and Griffin included - were surveying the water damage. All hoping to get some work down before the sun got too high in the sky, forcing everyone to take cover till the temperature dropped once more.
Leira POV
Sofi had cried for three hours last night before finally calming down last night. When I could finally leave her the storm had changed into a light misting, with only the occasional rumbling of thunder. I’m still sure Ariel would have calmed her down faster, but oh well.
THE NIGHT BEFORE
Sofi’s room is as bright and welcoming as her personality, but here I sit on her bed watching her shoulders shake as she bawls loudly. Silently I curse Griffin to the fierily heights of Lorthan. Like everything in her life, Sofi throws her whole self behind all her emotions, which makes her a messy crier.
“How c-could he do th-hat to meeee!” Sofi cried.
Her pillow was clutched tight to her chest as she rocks back and forth in anguish. Tears fall uncontrollably from her swollen eyes and down her red cheeks. She swipes her hand uncaringly across her face managing to leave a trail of mucus behind.
“Because he is an idiot.” I repeat for the hundredth time before wiping her face and making her blow.
“Aaron fi-finally noticed meeee… he –he actually ta-talked to me then….then.” She broke off as a new bout of tears started to fall. The rain gave a howl and the echo of thunder bounced off the walls.
This had gone on long enough, any more of this wallowing and the whole valley will be under water.
“Come on Sofi its not all that bad.” She wails in disagreement, “Aaron fought Griff, because of you didn’t he? How many times has he ever done anything like that?”
Sofi's head popped up. “He did, didn’t he…?”
“That’s right! You looked really cute before you fell in th….” She started to sniff again so I moved on quickly, “I don’t know what Griff's problem is.” Lie. “He is an idiot, but you can’t let him get to you like this. Aaron will probably be over tomorrow to see how you are and you don’t want to still be red and puffy from crying.” A low blow, I know, but if it works.
Her hand flies to face, “Your right, I had better get some sleep. Thanks for coming over, Lei”
“That’s okay, just please stop crying and get some sleep. We will start planning revenge tomorrow”
“Promise?” She asked as she drifts off to sleep.
PRESENT
Outside Sofi is helping Margo hang up some sheets. She doesn’t realise all this mess was her fault. Sofi is normally a very happy, bubbly person, but in a way her emotions are tied to the weather, basically when she is sad it rains. The biggest storms in living memory were around the time that she was teething.
Stepping out from the cool shade of a house I carry another wet load out for drying doing my best to avoid the bright shaft of burning sunlight. Suddenly I feel Kachiri weight land upon my shoulder and the word “Food!”marched through my mind.
“In a minute, I’m have to do this first,” I mutter almost to the other group of workers.
“Food! Food! Food! Foooooood!”Kachiri is never very patient when hungry.
Kachiri is a Kassalik a native animal on our desert planet. It has the face and body of a very small cat but with the scaly skin of a lizard. Above its neck is a frilled collar that stands out when angry. They hear through small ear holes on either side of its head between the eyes and the frill. Its tail is twice as long as it’s body with a small fluff of fur at the end, which they use as a lure their prey closer. That is when they don’t have some sucker to feed them on command.
Her body is half-orange and half-red, this lets her blend into this surroundings but they can change the red half depending on their mood or cover. Right now she is a violent shade of blue, meaning she is impatient.
Kachiri like all of her species is highly intelligent and telepathic capable of interesting conversations. But she rarely bothers actually talking to me, she usually only gives me one word commands.
“Food! Food! Food!” She chants.
“Fine.” I say exasperated.
Everyone looks up at me confused but seeing Kachiri they go back to their work, they are used to me speaking to my “pet”.
Walking away from the group I jog up the rose coloured carved stone stairs and along the walkway until I reach my house. The temperature drop is welcoming after the outside heat. While walking over to the kitchen for Kachiri’s food I could not help but notice the difference between Sofi’s home and mine.
Where her cave walls were brightened by quilts and tapestries passed down through the years, mine were barren and empty. The only decoration father allowed was an ornately framed copy of our laws and punishments. If a man was caught stealing then he must spend Somnum with only a sheet for cover, once Somnum was over he was to be cut down and treated. The number of times a person was caught dictated how many days they were left untreated. Punishments for other crimes were just as brutal; needless to say laws were rarely broken.
After placing some food in a bowl, I grab and oraple and bight down on it’s sweet, blue flesh. Leaning back against the granite bench top I begin scanning hard for Ariel.
It is usually too easy for me to find a persons mind; generally I have to fight to keep all the different voices from drowning me.However those of us who are ‘special’ are harder to read for some reason. Ariel, Sofi and I are not the only ones in town who can do something extra, but most of them don’t realise they can. For the others their gifts are subtle, like Sofi and the rain. One thing I have noticed about all of them is that I have trouble reading them. I really have to concentrate and even then it is like trying to listen to voices under water. Unless of coarse, I touch them or they are very upset; then whatever is shielding them falls.
I don’t usually try and listen; I don’t want to hear something that will make me think less of one of my friends. But Ariel been having a bad feeling all week and just today I have started to feel it too…
An airship arriving
The shadowed outline of a man in black.
The feeling of malice in the air
The half eaten oraple falls to the floor and rolls under a table as I race out the door.
Ariel POV
I can still taste the obsession and hatred from my vision. It was too short to fully understand but I know it is a warning of an unrelenting evil that’s on its way. Nothing will satisfy it but destruction, blood and death.
Leira finds me huddled behind a rock.
She didn’t say anything just wrapped her arms around me till I stopped shaking.
"When will it get here?" Leira’s thoughts softly floated soothingly through my mind.
"I don’t know. It arrives by airship so either tomorrow or after the Mother Moonfestival in a fortnight, everything will end by the next Blood Moon rise."
"Then we have time to watch and plan. We will know more when it gets here, I will read him then."
“It can’t be stopped. All I see is death, yours….. mine….. so many…. So, so many.”
I bury my head into the curve of her neck and take comfort while I still can.